


Afraid Of The Dark

by ASadiscticDoggo



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Dream No More Ending (Hollow Knight), Named vessels, They not empty at all, Vessels can’t speak, focusing on the Knight’s journey, genderless vessels, lots of dead children, lots of sad deaths, thats all for now, um I’m not good at tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26059375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASadiscticDoggo/pseuds/ASadiscticDoggo
Summary: The Vessel Ventured into the dying lands for a reason they can’t decipher. As they head in deeper, they ignore the faces all too similar to theirs. And ignore the places they find so familiar.But they can’t ignore finding their birth place, and the memories flooding their head.They knew there was a reason they hated the dark.
Relationships: The Knight & Siblings (Hollow Knight)
Kudos: 23





	1. The Abyss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story focuses on Ghost's journey before he left hallownest

Ghost entered cold room, tensing in the dark. The Abyss was a deeply unnerving place. Shades inhabiting the void-tainted  
masks that filled lower-bottom of the room. Ghost didn’t know how many masks there were under the first layer. For all they know, the room could be 4 times bigger and the masks covered it all up.  
  
  


Ghost didn’t like going here. A small fraction wanted to stay and the rest wanted to go very far away. They didn’t understand how the place seemed oddly familiar, despite the fact they’ve never been here other then when he’d first entered. 

~~**lies.  
  
** ~~ ~~~~

perhaps, it’s the masks that looked so much like their siblings. ** ~~They are~~** **.** But they couldn’t be their siblings. They would have notice if one left. Plus, there were too many to be theirs. Unless there were... more than.. they thought... 

forget about it. It doesn’t matter at the moment. What we’re they here for again. Oh yes, they had come back to check the place and see if they had missed any thing. After finding the Grimm troupe’s bonfire, they were certain that other secrets lay hidden in Hallownest’s walls. 

  
They also had a strange pull to a certain area. Like something was hidden. Or missing. They didn’t really know but it lured them closer. It made kinda sense. Despite being quite large, The Abyss was very empty. There had to be some secret laying about.   
  


~~**deep within.** ~~

As Ghost reached the bottom, they noticed the ground shaking. from thetrembling masks void was flowing out like a waterfall. Swinging their nail against it, they watched as the masks fell, revealing a hole beneath. It seemed very dark. Taking out their lumafly lantern, holding it close, they jumped down.

below the masks above revealed.. Well... more masks. It appeared their theory might Be right. The tunnels were dropping tiny bit of masks. Tiny bits dropped upon their head, causing them to flinch. Ettempting to ingore the bits, they carried on. As they walked they found the sound of walking on dead bugs to be quite disturbing. Especially with the sound of distressed Shades echoing throughout the tunnel.  
  


dropping down, they found their first foe. Striking it down the continued on forward. As they advanced through the area, going deeper and deeper. Their stomach twisted, making them feel all sorts of terrible.   
  


They slashed through the chaotic shades, and the sound of void passing through them like wind, got louder. ~~**closer.  
**~~  
  


They cut through two more shades before finding something. It was big and round and black as the void. ~~**birthplace.**~~ Thin tendrils were attached to it, leading past and into the walls of the mask, to somewhere unknown. A reflection of them stood right in front of their face, reflected by the Strange ball. ~~**egg.**~~

They hit it a couple times, curious. When nothing happened they thought a moment, before Dream nailing it.   
  


Then it 

all

went

**Black.**

**I can’t see.** ~~(No mind to think.)~~

**Can’t see!  
**

**No, wait.**

**Light. Above.** **Go**. ~~(No will to break.)~~ **  
**

**Go.  
**

**Too many siblings.. where..**

**Dead.....?  
  
**

  
  


~~(No voice to cry suffering.)~~

**where..**

  
  


~~(No...)~~

**Sibling.. where.. are you.**

**.**

**.**

**going?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed :)
> 
> Edited


	2. Wake up

All I could see for miles was an empty void. I stared into the blackness, trying to hear something, anything. The world seemed so painfully quiet, I wanted to scream. I tried to, forced out any inkling of a sound. But nothing came out.

There was a flash of light beside me. Glancing over, I saw a bright white light. I watched as it got closer. As the light stood in front of me, I tried to reach out. But, I hand wouldn’t move, I couldn’t move at all. 

As they began to panic, the light spoke. It spoke soundless words, the silence consuming any sound. Yet, it calmed me. I relaxed as I listened to the light speak. I listened even if I could not hear them.

It seemed as if I was there for a while. But it suddenly felt like seconds as the light was consumed by the void. I reached out, grasping onto the light, until something pulled me away. Pulled away I watched the light disappear.

_Wait! No! Let go!_

The void then began to disappear, replaced by faces.

_...What..?_

I pulled away from the other vessels, standing up. I looked around.

  
_where...where did it go?_

As I looked around, searching for the void and light, the vessels moved away. I watched them dig through the layers of masks. A few of the vessels found a smaller vessel in the ground, picking it up and pulling it from the ground. I watched this for a while before following suit, searching through the skulls.

I noticed something poking through the layers of lifeless masks. Pulling them out, they looked at the vessel. The vessel had two thick horns standing straight out from their mask. 

  
a memory flashed through their head. 

_The light! It was up there! That vessel, they followed it into a door!_

  
I jumped at this new information. I knew for certain that the light was important.. somehow. I wasn’t exactly sure how I knew this,but I did. The vessel must had made it to the light. They saw them walk to the door, after all. 

  
The vessel in front of me stared, confused. I patted them quickly, before racing away. I had to get back up. 

Jumping on top of the first platform, I heard a crack. Looking over, they saw a vessel looking sternly at me. Freezing in place I watched them coming on top of the platform. The vessel pointed up, shaking their head. 

  
The vessel grabbed my hand, bringing me back down to the ground. The vessel pointed at me then jabbing to the ground. 

I nodded, understanding. The vessel then walked away, to a larger group of vessels. The vessel had four spikes, two each were settled on the sides of their face. The other vessels seemed to look up to them, so they knew that the vessel had some sort of importance. There was a word for it.. 

C...K— King! I wasn’t exactly sure what the word meant but it felt important, like the vessel. I would have to tell the vessel about the light. Somehow.

But for now, I would continue to follow along with the others. So I began to search for other living vessels. 

  
————————————-

less and less vessels were being found. I had once thought if there were more even deeper than they could ever go. Most vessels stopped looking, instead sitting with the large group. I soon began to follow. 

The vessel, King, hit on the wall loudly. The sound alerted the vessels. We all looked at King curiously. King looked at us for a moment, before lowering to the ground. Grabbing one of the lifeless skulls, they snapped a horn from it. All the vessels flinched, including myself. 

King looked over them for a moment before using the horn piece to scrape against the walls. I was at first confused, Until I had realized that King was making something.

They were making.. a vessel! I was in awe from it. This would make telling King about the light easier. King drew the vessel looking at the... path up before scribbling over it harshly. King pointed at a vessel, pointed up. King then picked up a mask, before throwing it to the ground harshly in front of said vessel. The vessel nodded frantically.

King seemed satisfied, holding up the horn peace to the crowd. I jumped at the opportunity, raising my hand and waving. King gave it to me and they went over to the wall. I scratched out the light, trying to remember its details. 

horns... eyes... they finished the light, placing the vessel that made it to the door next to it. Jabbing my hand to the ceiling, hoping I conveyed the message well. I waved their hands around, trying to describe something so... amazing. King and many others stared confused, though one came up to them. They had one large horn protruding from the front of their head. They pointed at the light, nodding. 

  
taking the horn piece, they drew a larger, albeit better picture of the light. The vessels started to get excited about the light, making gestures to one another. 

I felt happy that I had made a contribution to the group. I looked over to the one horned vessel, deciding to give them a word as I had did to King.   
  


....Horn... It did not feel very original. At all.   
  


Well, it did not have to be original. 

  
  


King seemed to be unimpressed with the larger picture of light. King’s had an emotion they could not describe. Then King promptly turned and left, climbing up and sitting atop of the lowest platform, watching over the vessels.   
  


The crowd soon dissipated, I myself left and took refuge in a opened ball. I wasn’t too sure what it was, but it didn’t really matter.   
  


The abyss became very peaceful. With only the sound of blowing void and crunches of masks being heard. Horn later joined me in the broken ball. Together we watched the vessels roaming around and playing.   
  


They almost fell asleep when a loud crack echoed through the chamber. Looking over I saw a vessel with a very cracked head and a floating void-black version of a vessel following quickly. The vessel was hit again, void seeping out and the mask falling down.   
  
  


Vessels began panicking and it became quickly apparent that it was no longer safe here.

* * *

Greenpath vessel= King

The one horned vessel, Horn, is based off of a dead vessel in the abyss. They are in the middle of the picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed


	3. Unrest (KING’S POV)

I stared over the frail vessels that scattered the graveyard. The moment I laid eyes on them, I have felt a sense of duty, to protect them at all cost.

Whatever you had called this feeling, it hadn't mattered. All I cared is whether the vessels were ok or not.

Which made it all the more irritating when that vessel had drawn out the light. From my dreams, I had once held respect for the grand thing. That was before I had made it to the top.

As I scratched my way to the last platform, staring at the wyrm, in all its glory. I raced to it, pulling at the silver cloak that rapped its body. A plea to help the others who struggled so much.

Then I was thrown right back into the black abyss. No thorn, sprained muscle, fractured shell, could have ever felt worse than that.

It was likely the others had seen the wyrm as well, based on the crowd I had assembled. But they would never see the true colors the light had, which felt darker than the black ink that colored my shell.

I glanced over to a strange blob of void. It swirled and bubbled over the broken masks. My insides twisted in churned at the sight of it.

I had a very bad feeling about this.

A vessel had walked up to it. No! My head echoed frantically as I tumbled through the dead.

The black void formed itself, resembling that of a vessel itself. I faltered, giving the void imitation enough time to give out a deadly blow.

the crackle of the hit echoed throughout the entire chamber.

The injured vessel attempted to run, but the dangerous void was quicker, swinging a final blow.

It was only then that I realized I was frozen in place. I found myself incapable of moving as fear began to overtake me.

It was only then when the void creature began after another could I run. I searched frantically for something to attack it with. Glancing at the broken and cracked shells of the former living, I pulled a fairly large horn from one.

I did feel bad about it, yet, I was certain they would allow it if they could, for it meant helping the others that could still carry on.

I swung at the foe, The horn went straight through it. The creature had let out a pained hiss, it's body separating at falling back into the ground.

from the distance, I could see another rising. No doubt there would be more. I would have to take the vessels somewhere safe.

Considering my options, I remembered a room that leads to a narrow hallway, which lead to a dead end. I could take them there, but it was relatively small, cramped for such a large group. There was also a chance they would rise from inside as well. Such a narrow hallway would mean little space between a thrashing arm and a defenseless vessel.

The other option was the other side, which lead to a not much wider interior. Though I didn't know what lead much beyond that.

I vigorously shook my head, there was no time for long choice making. I had to get them to safety.

I knocked on the mask loudly. As I did so I lead vessels toward the larger room. The masses began to follow. I swung a nearby creature. This time though, it did not go down so easily. Barely dodging the whip as it whizzed right in front of me, the snap of the air making my insides feel dizzy.

A deep fear was unlocked inside me, telling me, 'one hit and you'll be like the rest'.

I headed towards the entrance, which seemed to be blocked up. Grabbing a broken mask, I handed it to a vessel, which looked very apprehensive. I picked up a broken horn, handing it to another. This one I remembered being the one that drew the light first. They shook their head frantically.

I grabbed his hand, holding the piece tightly in their palm, looking at them meaningfully.

I heard a slash behind me, looking back I saw the other vessel swing at the imposters, it quivering back into the ground.

As much as I didn't want to, I had to see what was beyond.

pushing through the crowd I started as I saw whips of vine-like void tendrils slashing wildly. I felt a sense of dread, this was the wrong choice and now they were trapped!

The vessels stumbled through each other worriedly. I pushed them a bit away from the thrashing void. I decided to go back, to ward off the impersonating creatures for however long.

"Hello? Someone there?" A noise called out. I was able to understand them clearly, making me pause.

"Oh? Oh, dear! There's so many of you!" I Glanced back, there above the angered lake, laid the strangest thing I've ever seen. A white colored vessel? No, no, something else. Whatever. It was, it stared with strange eyes.

"Ah the void is acting up again, always cuts down the bridges we make. Stay a moment! I'll be right back!" It turned around and left. Though I could not wait for it to come back, I had to make sure the others were ok.

As I went through the crowd, I reached back at the infested room. My insides felt heavy as I was certain that there were more masks on the ground than before. The feeling worsened when the vessel I gave the horn was no longer there.

I slashed at a nearing creature, watching it hiss out, separating. Before it could reform, I finished it off with a final blow.

Yet, it felt as if I did nothing, another forming not too far off. I continued to fend them off. A few vessels joined, doing their best to help. If I could I'd tell them I was proud, but drawing right now was definitely not a good idea.

Amidst my fighting, the crowd behind me withdrew. I turned and watched as they went deeper. I and a few others followed.

The void creatures luckily stayed behind. I gave out a sigh of relief, despite no real sigh coming out.

Ahead stood the strange creature, this time accompanied by another.

"The King said not to talk to them! What would he do if he found out about this?" The new one said. Its face was scrunched up. The way it looked gave me a disgruntled feeling.

"But look at them! We can't just leave them here!" The other one voiced, "I'm sure the King would understand."

King... I wondered who that could be. By the looks of it, he seemed important.

"Come along little ones. Follow the light and you shall be safe." The calmer white creature said. I followed the bright lights carefully. The murky void, once full of life, only swayed calmly against the walls.

After passing the void spaces, I reached a ground which no masks lay. Most vessels took refugee on it, while others stood on the platforms. I briefly wondered why someone would want to jump their way to the top.

But the thoughts stopped when I spotted a particular vessel. Still holding the horn, the vessel I thought was dead stood alive and well.

I decided to rest with the others taking comfort in knowing that most of them were unharmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I’ve been pretty busy. 
> 
> Note that I change the person you POV as first person. This is for genderless bugs only as it’s pretty hard to distinguish between them. 
> 
> Dunno why I made it third person in the first place.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed :D


End file.
